Machine for clearing land.



PATENTED JAN. 9, 19 06.

C. H. McNALLY. MACHINE FOR CLEARING LAND.

APPLICATION FILED MAYl, 1905.

2 SHEBTSSHEET l.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENTED JAN. 9, 1906.

0. H. MGNALLY.

MACHINE FOR CLEARING LAND.

APPLIUATION FILED MAYI, 1905.

U I ED S T PATENT OFFICE.

MACHINE FOR CLEARING LAND.

Specification of Letters Patent.

IPatented Jan. 9, 1906.

\ Application filed May 1, 1905. Serial No. 258,325.

To (ZZZ whmn it may concern;

Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. MoNALLY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Waipahu, Island of Oahu, Territory of Hawaii, have invented a new and useful-Machine for Clearing Land, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for clearing land of bushes, shrubs, and the like preparatory to plowing and cultivating, and particularly to such machines as are drawn across the field by means of cables operated by a portable engine on each side of the field.

The object of this invention is to provide a machine of this character which shall effectively remove the bushes, shrubs, and the like growing in the field when the machine is drawn in either direction on uneven as well as level ground and to provide means for automatically cleaning the knives of the machine of any accumulated soil or brush and to accomplish these objects in an economical and efficient manner.

To this end the invention contemplates a drum composed of wheels with projecting knives, radially supported thereby, cap able of rolling upon the ground about a bar for an axis when the bar, attached to a suitable frame, is drawn across the field by means of cables.

It also contemplates means for steering the machine, the cleaning automatically of the knives of the drum, and the hinging of the frame to provide for the unevenness of the ground.

With these objects in View my invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

The machine is particularly adapted for clearing the field of lantana, sage-bush, young algarroba, and the like.

In the accompanying drawings, in which corresponding parts in the several figures are designated by like characters of reference, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a machine constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the cutting-drum on the line A B of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a portion of a wheel for cutting-drum on the line C D of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, the frame of the machine is in three parts, the sides of the central portion A of which are each composed of two steel channels 1 and 2, riveted together,

with the plate 3 interposed. The two sides are rigidly connected by the flat bars 4 and 5 and the angular connecting-straps 6, riveted in the corners, the whole forming a rectangular frame. (Best shown in Fig. 1.) Theinside channels 2 abut the flat bars 4 and 5, while the plates 3 and outside channels 1 project slightly beyond the fiat bars 4 and 5. Outside of this rectangular frame and riveted to the flat bars 4 and 5 are projecting angular lugs 7. The end portions of the frame B B of the machine are alike triangular in shape and are each composed of three flat bars 8, 9, and 10, riveted together at their forward ends. The outer bars 8 and 10 are each bent outward and rearward at an angle to the center flat bar 9. The rear ends of these bars forming the end frames B are hinged to the central rectangular frame A by means of the bolts 11 through the lugs 7 and the ends of the plates 2 and channels 1. The forward end of each of the triangular end frames B is supported by an axle 12, provided with wheels 13 13 adaptedto turn on said axle, the end of the frame being enlarged to receive a king-bolt 14,pass ing through said end-and through a strap 16, fastened to the center of the axle 12. A round bar 17, with squared ends 17*, is secured to the sides of the rectangularportion A of the frame of the machine by means of the straps 18 18. Adapted to revolve on the bar 17 is a cuttingdrum O, composed of two cast wheels 19, provided with radial slots 20, similarly arranged in their peripheries, in corresponding slots of which are secured projecting knives 21 by means of hook-b olts 22. (Best shown in Fig. 3.) The length of these knives 21 is made slightly shorter than the distance between the inner side channels 2 and 2 in order to clear same. An even number of knives 21 are employed, and in each of the spaces between the knives is a flat bar 23, connected by means of shouldered rod-bolts 24 to a corresponding flat bar 23 on the opposite side of the cutting-drum C. These rod-bolts 24 are ofiset to clear the bar 17 and are made of a length such that when a flat bar 23 is pushed inward against the wheels 19 the corresponding bar 23 on the opposite side is pushed outward to a position approximately flush with the edges of its adjacent knives 21, as shown in Fig. '3. The holes for the rod-bolts 24 in each pair of fiat bars 23 are so arranged that each pair of rod-bolts clears the pair connecting the adjacent flat bars 23.

A hauling-cable is attached to a clevis 25 at each of the extreme outer ends of the frame of the machine. The tension of said cables tends to straighten the three portions B, A, and B of the frame of the machine into a horizontal plane, as shown in Fig. 2, while the hinging of these three portions together permits the cutting-drum C to follow the contour of the ground.

The weight of the cutting-drum C forces its lower knives 21 into the ground, thus causing the flat bars 23, which are between said lower knives, to be pushed up against the bottom peripheries of the wheels 19, thereby raising the corresponding flat bars 23 on the upper side of the cutting-drum C, to which they are connected by the rod-bolts 24, thus pushing out any accumulated soil or brush from between the adjacent knives. When the machine is pulled forward in either direction, the cutting-drum 0 rolls over the ground, revolving on the bar 17, secured to the hinged central portion A of the frame of the machine, the knives 21, which are successively at the bottom of the cutting-drum C out the bushes, shrubs, and the like into small pieces and effectively clear the land of the same, while the arrangement of flat bars 23, connected by the rod-bolts 24, automatically cleans the knives, as above described.

The machine is guided or steered by turning the front axle 12. This is accomplished by means of two chains 26 26, attached to the axle 12 by hook-bolts 27 and U-bolts 27*, the other ends of the chains being wound in opposite directions around and their ends secured to the bar 28. The bar 28 is j ournaled in the brackets 29, attached to the flat bars 8 9 10, respectively, and is revolved in either desired direction by means of the worm 30 on the lower end of the shaft 31 meshing with the worm-gear 32 on the bar 28. The shaft 31 is journaled in the casting 33 and is operated by the hand-wheel 34.

The triangular end portions B of the frame of the machine are planked to form a platform by planks bolted to angles 35, riveted to the flat bars 8 and 10, respectively, and a toolbox 36 thereon forms a seat for the steersman as well. Boards 37 the full width of the machine and bolted to uprights 38, riveted to the flat bars 4 and 5, respectively, form guards to prevent the steersman being thrown against the cutting-drum C by any jolt of the machine.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Pat cut, is

1. In a machine of the class described, a cutting drum, comprising wheels provided with radial slots in their peripheries, a series of knives extending between said wheels and having their ends engaging corresponding slots in the respective wheels and reciprocatory clearing-bars slidably mounted between the knives.

2. In a machine of the class described, a cutting drum, comprising wheels provided with radial slots in their peripheries, a series of knives extending between said wheels and having their ends engaging corresponding slots in the respective wheels, and means for cleaning said knives, said means comprising flat bars slidable between the knives, and rods connecting diametrically opposite bars.

3. In a machine of the class described, a cuttin -drum having a peripheral series of radial knives extending longitudinally of said drum, and reciprocatory bars between the knives for cleaning the latter.

4. In a machine of the class described, a cutting-drum comprising a pair of wheels journaled upon a supporting-axle, a series of radial knives connected at their ends to said wheels, and reciprocatory bars between the knives for cleaning the latter.

5. A machine of the class described, comprising aframe in three parts hinged together, the end parts of said frame supported on axles with wheels, means for turning said axles for the purpose of guiding the machine, and a bar attached to the sides of the central portion of the frame, on which a cutting-drum revolves when the machine is hauled in either direction by cables attached to the ends of the frame.

6. A machine of the class described, comprising a frame hinged in three parts, axles with wheels supporting the ends of the frame, means for steering the machine, a cutting-drum axled to the central part of the frame, and means for cleaning the knives of said cutting-drum.

7. A machine of the class described, comprising a central rectangular frame A hinged to two triangular end frames B, axles 12 with wheels 13 supporting the outer ends of the end frames B, means for turning the axles 12, and a bar 17 secured to the central frame A and on which a cutting-drum C is adapted to revolve when the machine is hauled in either direction by means of cables attached to clevises 25 at the end of the frames B.

8. In a machine of the class described, a cuttingdrum C, comprising the wheels 19 having radial slots 20 similarly arranged in their peripheries, projecting knives 21 secured in corresponding slots 20 by means of hook-bolts 22, a flat bar 23 in each space between the projecting knives 21, and bolts 24 connecting same to the corresponding flat bar 23 on the opposite side of the cuttingdrum, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES H. MoNALLY.

Witnesses:

RoBr. J. PRATT, CHARLES R. HEMENWAY. 

